Lesson 2

• The National Capital Region (NCR), official name of Metro Manila and seat of the government, consists of 16 cities namely: Manila, Quezon City, Las Piñas, Makati, Mandaluyong, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Parañaque, Pasay, Pasig, San Juan, Taguig, Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, and Valenzuela, as well as the municipality of Pateros.
• NCR is considered as the Philippines's political, economic, social, and cultural center.
• NCR is reported as the 18th most populous city in the world in 2016 and one of the modern metropolises in the Southeast Asia.
• Metro Manila


  A "huge urban conglomeration" due to its dense population with people coming from different areas of the country and its neighboring countries
• NCR is a place of economic extremes. High-income citizens reside in highly developed urban cities such as Makati and Muntinlupa while poor and low-income families are scattered in slum areas such as Tondo and Smokey Mountain.
• Famous landmarks and tourist destinations in the NCR

  • Rizal Park
  • National Museum of the Philippines
  • Intramuros
  • Fort Santiago
  • Manila Cathedral
  • San Agustin Church
  • Bahay Tsinoy Museum
  • Anda Circle
• Filipino (Tagalog)


  The national language and an official language of the country, is the most widely spoken language in Metro Manila
• English


  The language of commerce, law, and several workplaces
• The Tagalog literature has been born and developed in the provinces of Southern Luzon, Central Luzon, and the present Metropolitan Manila or the National Capital Region.
• Provinces of Region IV-A (CALABARZON)

  • Cavite
  • Batangas
  • Laguna
  • Quezon
• Provinces of Region IV-B (MIMAROPA)


  • Oriental Mindoro
  • Occidental Mindoro
  • Marinduque
  • Palawan
• Provinces in Central Luzon (Region III) where Tagalog has been predominantly used

  • Aurora
  • Nueva Ecija
  • Bataan
  • Bulacan
• The Tagalog region is well-known nationwide as the birthplace of a rich tradition of Philippine culture in the aspects of language, politics, economy and literature.
• The University of Sto. Tomas, the oldest university in the Philippines, is located in Manila.
• The first printing press that was built in Manila made the publication of the first book Doctrina Cristiana possible in 1593, in the form of xylography. This was written in Spanish and Tagalog languages.
• Pasyon, which narrated the life of Christ in the form of song and poetry was written in Tagalog by the various writers Gaspar Aquino de Belen and Fr. Mariano Pilapil.
• The literary tradition in the Tagalog regions had been outstanding in the field of oral literature, including bugtong (riddle), proverbs, native songs, and other forms in poetic forms.
• Some writers of classic Philippine literature from the past

  • Francisco Balagtas Baltazar
  • Jose Rizal
  • Andres Bonifacio
  • Apolinario Mabini
  • Emilio Jacinto
  • Marcelo H. del Pilar
  • Jose P. Laurel
  • Lope K. Santos
  • Lazaro Francisco
  • Faustino Aguilar
  • Jose Corazon de Jesus
  • Alejandro Abadilla
  • Modesto de Castro
  • Claro M. Recto
  • Amado V. Hernandez
• Notable writers from Metro Manila with timeless and permanent contribution to the development of Philippine literature

  • Carmen Guerrero-Nakpil
  • Nicomedes "Nick" Márquez Joaquín
  • Alejandro Reyes Roces
• Some contemporary writers from the past to present

  • Lualhati Bautista
  • Gémino H. Abad
  • Linda Ty Casper
  • Gilda Cordero-Fernando
• Some famous writers in the present time

  • Bebang Siy
  • Bob Ong
  • Ricky Lee
  • Ferdinand Pisigan Jarin
• Jolography


  A book of poems by Paolo Manalo that received the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature (2002) and the UP Gawad Chanselor (2004)
• Sweet Summer


  A collection of short fiction by Cyan Abad Jugo
• There Was This Really Fat Girl

  A young adult fiction by Carla M. Pacis